[Assam] Fw: Letter to the Editor.

Thu Jun 12 22:48:38 PDT 2008

  Dear KJD
  Thanks for the intellectual and timely article on Oxomiya Bhaxa (Assamese Language) published in the Sentinel. This is an important and sensitive subject and you have touched some truths. However I find that overall, the article has given a rather one sided and distorted view of the Assamese in America, and people in Assam might get the impression that we Assamese in America donot speak Assamese at all. It is basically to correct this view, that I have decided to comment on your article.

  First I am glad that you are addressing the 'Assamese language in America' and not 'Assamese language in Assam'. These are two separate issues. Writing about the 'demise of Assamese language in America', you are hitting on the bull's eye and on a real problem. The same is however not true for the Assamese language in general as many of us like to imagine. The Assamese language in general will flow as long as the river luit will flow. 

  As you have pointed out like many other languages, the 'Assamese language in America' will eventually die out. If any one does the numerical analysis, this is inevitable, and frankly speaking there is no point in being emotional or critical about it. The Tie Ahoms lost their mother tongue in Assam the same way.  The issue of inevitability is however not reflected your article. Rather you are showing as if it is a news for all of us and especially to the Assamese people back home. 

  That being said, let us not bring death to the 'Assamese language in America' prematurely. The fact is the Assamese language in America is not dead yet.  You wrote "....most of the Asomiyas, belonging to the in-between generation, if not all, do not speak their mother tongue at all."  I am sure most Assamese in America would not agree with you. In fact, we still have most Assamese converse in Assamese when we meet together in Assamese parties and we have many Assamese children who speak fluent Assamese. Not only that, we have writers and poets in the country who writes in Assamese. Thus your statement, "The Asomiya language in the USA has already been put to sleep by the Asomiyas themselves," is a bit exaggeration, highly controversial and frankly speaking not true.

  Leaving aside the above exaggeration, let us see the reasons cited by you for the eventual demise of the Assamese language in America.  You wrote, "It is too facile of an argument, often made by the expatriate Asomiyas, that teaching children their native language interferes with the English language development." Frankly speaking, I find this absolutely a wrong assumption. I donot think there are any such unfortunate and ignorant Assamese in America (or elsewhere)  who sincerely believe the above outdated theory and that is why they donot teach Assamese to their children. The actual reason why the parents donot teach Assamese to their children is plain and simple. We are too laid back, hobo diok and lazy. At the same time, there are many parents, like us, who speak to their children in Assamese. Now formal teaching of Assamese is a different matter altogether which must have to be a community effort. As communities we are small everywhere and where we can, frankly speaking we are lazy and take our usual 'hoobo diok' attitude. It is not because we Assamese donot have pride in our culture and language, as we have said. On the other hand, I think we (the NRI Assamese) have too much pride in the Assamese language and culture. That is why we celebrate Bihu almost everywhere in the globe now a days. That is why we meet annually in two places at the same fourth of July every years in America.

  Coming to your concluding remark on teaching Assamese, "One would fall off the chair to learn that the entire affair is conducted in English! I am at a loss to understand as to how on earth one can pass one's culture and heritage on to their progeny by merely holding Bihu function once in a year without impressing upon their children the importance of learning their own language which is the essence of any culture." On this I am with you.  I agree that it seems a bit hypocritical for the Assamese in Houston to debate in English during the Bihu about the 'demise of the Assamese language in Assam'. I think it is not only hypocritical bu rather wastage of time. I would have rather spent the time teaching Assamese to our children, which in fact I had suggested strongly.  

  Overall I think your article will play very well in Assam where people are ready to judge the NRIs on wrong assumptions like we the NRIs like to judge Assam often time on wrong assumptions. I hope we are learning. 

  Incidentally some of us are trying to come up with a scheme to teach basic Assamese to the children. Please watch out for some good news.

  BTW I will send a verson of this writing to Sentinel so that people in Assam will not hold to the wrong impression that we donot speak in Assamese at all. etc

  Thanks
  Rajen Kokaideu

    ----- Original Message ----- 
    From: kamal deka 
    To: Rajen & Ajanta Barua 
    Sent: Sunday, June 08, 2008 9:04 AM
    Subject: Letter to the Editor.

                                The Demise of Asomiya Language in America 
                                Half of the world's 6,000 languages, as estimated by the United Nations, will go the way of the dinosaurs in less than a century. In fact one falls out of use about every two weeks. Usually, the life of a language comes to an end when the speakers of the language stop speaking it for any reason. The Asomiya language in the USA has already been put to sleep by the Asomiyas themselves, which is the product of parental failure to inculcate a sense of pride in our ancient culture and language. After all, diet and dialect are perhaps the emblems of any society. The abdication of the Asomiya parents makes it easy for the Asomiya children here in America to follow the path of least resistance by imitating their American peers. The result : most of the Asomiyas, belonging to the in-between generation, if not all, do not speak their mother tongue at all.
                                It is too facile of an argument, often made by the expatriate Asomiyas, that teaching children their native language interferes with the English language development. It would, therefore, be better to focus on English than teach a language that is going to be of limited use in this country. This line of reasoning, in my opinion, does not seem to have two legs to stand for a few simple reasons. 
                                First, research consistently points to the cognitive and academic advantages of being bilingual, no matter what the second language is. But the Asomiya parents are not dissuaded by multilingual pre-schoolers reading earlier and faster than their monolingual counterparts. The young child's alloplastic mind is fertile ground for a multitude of ideas. Far from stunting mastery in English, learning another language enhances a child's ability to learn English by expanding linguistic structure and syntax. Furthermore, most children passively acquire English through ubiquitous interactions with teachers and fellow schoolmates at school, television and on the street. Conversely, they imbibe their native language only at home. 
                                Secondly, when Americans themselves have begun to realize that this land is not a melting pot but rather a rich mosaic, it is ironic that many of us still cling to the archaic philosophy of Romans in Rome. Thankfully, the Asomiyas here in America do not live in such a rigid world where they have to choose between extremes. 
                                Thirdly, there is another powerful benefit that is relevant to our children growing up here and that is in helping them a strong sense of identity which can help lead to better self-esteem and self-confidence.
                                The Asomiya diaspora of the USA insists and claims that the foremost reason of celebrating Bihu is to transmit - and preserve - our culture to the next generation. One would fall off the chair to learn that the entire affair is conducted in English! I am at a loss to understand as to how on earth one can pass one's culture and heritage on to their progeny by merely holding Bihu function once in a year without impressing upon their children the importance of learning their own language which is the essence of any culture.
                                Kamaljit Deka,
                                Sugarland, Texas.

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